Rebuilding the Gray
by Wren137
Summary: My take on what happens to Kallian and Alistair after the events in Dragon Age: Origins.
1. Chapter 1

It had been hours since they had killed the Archdemon, thus officially ending the blight, yet there was still much to do before the two remaining Gray Wardens of Ferelden could seek their rest. While most of the darkspawn hoard had turned and fled upon the death of their leader, there had been stragglers to deal with. Once the fighting was over, there was wounded to see to and bodies to dispose of. The darkspawn corpses especially had to be burned quickly to reduce the spread of the taint. Kallian and Alistair had spent the last couple hours helping some mages collect and preserve blood from the Archdemon to be used in future joining rituals. Kallian was glad that she had thought to ask Riodan to explain what was needed to be done in detail before the final battle as there was no way they could have waited till the other Orlesian Gray Wardens arrived before dealing with the corpse. As it was, they had managed to collect enough blood to last for many centuries, greatly extending the Warden's dwindling resources. Now the Archdemon's body was in the process of being cremated, a massive roaring bonfire atop Fort Drakon. Elsewhere on the roof, tired soldiers sorted through the remaining bodies, dragging over darkspawn corpses to add to those already burning. Human corpses and those of their elven and dwarven allies where kept separate, laid out in rows to be identified and claimed by their respective commanders and dispose of properly as their various customs dictated.

Kallian rolled her shoulders and sighed, trying to release some of the tension that had settled between her shoulder blades. She was exhausted. She had been awake for what seemed like days and had fought multiple grueling battles. There were many occasions where she would have died if it hadn't been for Wynn and her remarkable healing abilities. As it was, only the most severe of her more recent wounds had been healed out right. The minor ones had simply been cleaned and bandaged, saving the magical healing to be used to save lives. This left her with an aching and stiff body, something she wasn't used to dealing with for long since Wynn had joined their group after the incident at the Circle Tower. She was also feeling acutely the need for a bath. The worse of the blood and gore that invariably covered her after a fight had been wiped away when her wounds were treated, but she was far from clean. Blood and sweat had collected in hard to reach places, causing her armor to itch uncomfortably. Alistair didn't appear to be doing much better despite the fact that his plate mail did a better job of keeping the blood and gore out. Kallian knew from experience, though, that he tended to sweat quite a bit underneath the armor and would want a bath just as much as she.

She was just finishing confirming that someone would see that the collected archdemon blood would be delivered safely to the warden compound near the place when a messenger approached her explaining that the queen wanted the wardens at the palace. Kallian fought back a surge of annoyance from the summons. She disliked being ordered around. Still it was a reasonable request and the Queen couldn't really help but take charge. Still there was hint of snippiness in her voice when she spoke to Alistair.

"Shall we go and see what her Royal Majesty wants?" she asked, motioning him to lead the way.

"Yes, it really wouldn't do to keep the Queen waiting," Alistair replied, a hint of playfulness in his voice that didn't quite reach his eyes. Neither one of them particularly liked Anora though they both agreed that she was a competent ruler. She just had a way taking over and talking down to a person that grated on their nerves quite a bit since she was usually asking for their aid when doing so. Kallian was convinced that Anora was physically incapable of saying thank you unless faced with a formal ceremony and an audience of over a dozen. She also had the tendency to treat Alistair like an idiot and Kallian like a half-civilized wild animal. But as much as they personally disliked Anora, they had supported her as Queen and now they had to work with her. And Anora, for her part, had kept her word, supporting them at the Landsmeet and since. Furthermore, in public, she was nothing but respectful in her treatment of them both. The least they could do was return the favor, when in public that was.

As they made their way through the streets of Denerim, Kallian and Alistair were greeted with scenes mirroring that atop Fort Drakon as soldiers sorted and burned corpses under the direction of their commanders. Apparently someone had decided that it was safe for the evacuated citizens to return, as there were also quite a number of unarmored people wandering around helping with the cleanup and surveying the damage. Kallian was pleased to see that someone, perhaps the same someone, had at least seen fit to warn everyone of the dangers of the taint as everywhere she looked people had covered their noses and mouths with cloth and were treating the darkspawn corpses very gingerly.

Clearing the palace grounds seemed to have been a priority as they were already empty of corpses and several servants were in the process of spreading around sand to soak up any remaining blood. When the wardens had fought their way through the area the night before, the palace had been completely evacuated, with large barricades erected to discourage the darkspawn from attempting to break in. Now it was an entirely different place. The barricades were gone and servants and guards swarmed the place. Luckily, it seemed that they were both expected and easily recognizable as they were allowed to enter the palace unmolested except to be asked to wait patiently while someone who could show them where to go was found. Unexpectedly they were not led directly to Anora. The Queen was busy at the moment and had asked that they be given some rooms and be allowed to clean up in the mean time. Kallian was too thankful at the prospect of a proper bath to be annoyed by the slight while Alistair simply seemed relived not to have to deal with the Queen's disapproving stare for a few hours more.

At first, the chamberlain had tried to give them separate rooms. Kallian had quickly put a stop to that by calmly stating that they would share when the servant tried to lead Alistair away once he had showed her to her room. Of course the servant tried to object, but she simply gave him the look. The 'don't argue with me unless you like pain' look. He crumpled. Alistair watched the proceedings with amusement as he was well familiar with the look and knew just when to step in before she actually started hurting people. He also knew that to step in too soon would likely result in her giving **him** the look. He didn't like being the subject of the look. It never ended well.

Kallian finally let the stammering servant go once she had arranged for a bath, food, and for their excess gear to be delivered. It looked like they were to be staying at the palace for at least a day or two and she didn't like having her 'loot' out of her sight for too long. It was a habit born of long months on the road where their survival was dependant on the trade value of items scavenged from the bodies of their fallen foes. At first Alistair had not liked the idea of 'robbing the dead.' But he came around when she pointed out that they were outlaws and asked him how else were they to get the coin for food. It was surprising how practical he could be when his stomach was involved. When they had enough coin for food, she had pointed out that they needed better equipment, and so it had continued. Eventually he had gotten use to it and no longer complained as long as she never robbed from the living unless they really, really deserved it. It actually reminded him a bit of the stories of the Black Fox, a childhood hero of his that had stolen from the rich and evil Orlesians occupying Ferelden to support the rebel army hidden in the woods. Or at least that was what he told himself when he started to feel guilty.

Once the servant had run off leaving the two of them alone, Alistair began the somewhat involved process of divesting himself of his plate mail armor while she took a closer look at their rooms. They had been given a reasonably large three room suite consisting of a bedchamber, a room for bathing, and a sitting area.

"You know," Alistair began in a conversational voice, "if we share a room, people are going to talk."

"People already talk," she replied in the same tone searching his face for signs that he was mad. She knew he wasn't ashamed of her or their relationship, but that he was shy about certain topics and was uncomfortable with the idea of other people knowing they were intimate.

"True." Alistair seemed content to drop the topic and as his face hadn't turned red she decided it was safe to assume that he wasn't too mad or embarrassed. It was likely he was just looking for reassurance that she herself didn't mind the rumors.

"Alistair, I killed an archdemon and ended the Blight. I deserve a reward, and the only thing I want is you. If some people can't deal with that, I'll just feed them to the darkspawn!"

"See, that's what I love about you," he chuckled, giving her one of those smiles that made her knees go weak, as worry melted from his face. Luckily, further sappiness was prevented as a small troop of maids arrive bringing their food and filling the large tub with hot water. They took their time bathing, washing each other's backs and enjoying the simple intimacy of bathing together. Clean and fed, it was tempting to just climb into the large bed and sleep for a week, but they still had the Queen to deal with. Their extra gear had shown up while they were bathing, left inconspicuously in the sitting room without bothering them. Several messages addressed to Kallian had also appeared. While most of them seem brief passing on of relevant information, Anora had written a rather long note using both sides of the parchment.

"Read this for me," she demanded with a grin, handing Alistair Anora's note. Unlike most elves that grew up in the Alienage, Kallian had been taught to read and write, but she had nowhere near the education that Alistair had received at the chantry. She still found reading a slow process and Anora tended to use a lot of words she was unfamiliar with. Alistair, on the other hand, could read the whole thing in just a couple of minutes and never seemed to get confused by the longer words. It was a skill Kallian was envious of, though Alistair had only gotten embarrassed and uncomfortable the one time she tried to compliment him on it. She had latter learned that most humans could read as well as he could, especially those in the upper classes. Normally she would have tried to struggle through Anora's letter on her own first and only ask for his help if she got stuck. That way she gradually improved her own abilities instead of simply relying on his. But it took longer and she was too tired to bother at the moment. Alistair, for his part, merely took the note without comment, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly as he scanned through it. Meanwhile she read through the remaining notes. Her father had come to the palace earlier looking for her. He had apparently done a good enough job of proving who he was as he was formally invited back for some party. Cerberus, her Marbari War Dog, had been taken to the palace kennels to be bathed, fed, and generally pampered and could be fetched at her leisure. The rest of the missives contained similar news; thankfully there was nothing that she had to address immediately.

"Well?" she asked when it was clear Alistair had finished Anora's note. She hadn't liked the way his mouth kept twitching into a frown as he had read certain parts.

"Anora is throwing a victory celebration this afternoon and requires our presence. I'm guessing she's afraid that we're going to embarrass her as her instructions on the matter are rather detailed."

Kallian groaned. She was in no mood for an event. She was in the mood to sleep. "Can't we celebrate after we sleep?" she asked half heartedly.

"Of course not. Everyone knows that celebrations aren't any fun unless you are already half asleep when they begin." Alistair was rewarded for his weak jest with an equally weak smile. "It actually doesn't look that bad. We just have to stand there and look pretty while she officially thanks the Gray Wardens, that's us, in the part we played in saving Fereldan from the Blight. Then we get cake."

"That will make Sten happy at least. Very well, how much time do we have?"

"Just over two candle marks I think. We're both to wear dress armor as she doubts that you have an appropriate gown. And, get this, she's decided that Cailan would have wanted 'his brother' to have his armor and would be pleased if I would wear it today." The move was an empty one. Alistair already had his half-brother's armor as they had been the ones to retrieve it from Ostagar when they return to look for some documents after the battle. Anora of course knew this since Alistair had worn the armor to the Landsmeet. Kallian did find that the Queen's request that Al istair wear the armor a bit strange since usually Anora tried to play down the connection between him and the former king, but perhaps she had assumed that Alistair would wear it no matter what and this way it became by her choice. It was probably just another petty reminder of who was Queen.

"How generous of her," Kallian sneered. "Well it's a good thing they managed to find our gear then," she muttered in a resigned voice as she moved to the two large chests that had been deposited by the door to their suite. With deft movements she drew a pair of lock picks from where she had automatically stashed them in her robe after her bath and popped open the lock on the first chest. The chests, like most of their contents, had been looted and had not come with keys. Not that she let the lack of keys inconvenience her any. She rarely bothered with them even if she had them as she was almost a quick with her picks, especially with locks like these that she knew so well.

Carefully she sorted through the items they had collected over the past year or so that she had deemed too valuable or useful to pawn outright. Each piece of Cailan's golden plate mail had been wrapped carefully in a soft cloth to prevent smudges and other mars to its polished surface. Still Alistair rechecked each piece as she handed it over. Its surface was designed to take a beating in combat without suffering permanent damage, but the shine showed dirt easily. Along with Cailan's armor, Kallian also pulled out another suit of plate, one that they had found in soldier's peak. It had belonged to Warden-Commander Sophia Dryden. She had had Wade adjust it to fit her the last time they had been in Denerim but had never actually worn it. The plate was too heavy for her to fight in effectively, but it was perfect for a ceremonial occasion like the one Anora was planning with its beautiful Gray Warden Griffin motif. Like Alistair, she carefully examined her armor for mars to its finish. It was hero time. They needed to look the part.

Once they were satisfied with the appearance of their armor and reasonably clean underclothes and been hunted down, they began to dress. Alistair, being more familiar with the workings of his armor was finished first and ended up helping Kallian with hers. Weapons, also carefully cleaned and polished, were then chosen. Alistair ended up choosing his father's sword and Cailan's shield over Duncan's sword and shield, which he more commonly carried, mostly because they 'went better' with the armor. He could be pretty vain at times. Kallian chose to carry her longsword, Starfang, and her mother's dagger. A last check in the mirror that their hair looked ok (helmets weren't usually worn at such events as they made people harder to recognize) and they were ready to head back into the fray.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take Kallian long before she was regretting her choice in armor. The plate mail was heavy and she was exhausted. It was taking all of her discipline not to show how close to passing out she was. Not for the first time she found herself silently cursing the human nobles whose customs she was forced to follow. Not that she had any problem with idea of armor being formalwear; she quite liked that idea in abstract. It was the insistence that the fancier the occasion was, the heavier the armor required. Dwarves also seemed to share this opinion, which was all well and good for the two sturdier races, but it placed the rather slender elves at an extreme disadvantage. Elves were not meant for massive armor. They were better served by lighter armor that allowed them to take advantage of their natural speed and dexterity. Asking an elf to heavy armor was akin to asking one to voluntarily cripple herself.

At least her preoccupation with hiding her exhaustion was keeping her from paying too close attention to exactly what Anora was saying and how she was saying it. The Queen was in her element, giving a long and elegant speech thanking all who had joined together to fight the darkspawn and honoring all who had fallen in the process. Usually Anora's speeches annoyed her, but that required her to be actually listening. Kallian was an expert on nuance, a master at manipulating a crowd, which meant it was very easy for her to see when another was doing so. Queen Anora was as gifted a speaker as she was, if not more so. The main difference was that the Queen never seemed to turn it off. Anora was a politician through and through. In fact, she was such a competent ruler partly because of her ability to manipulate. She was able to keep the Landsmeet functioning, to get things done that needed to be done, despite the many varied interests and needs represented. Still, Kallian didn't quite trust Anora to always do what was right versus what was politically expedient. It was difficult to tell who the real Anora was behind the mask, and that made her uncomfortable. Of course it didn't help that the two woman's politics differed on several points. There was nothing more annoying than listening as someone argues a point you disagree with competently and effectively.

Alistair was standing by Kallian's side, a perfect vision of the brave and dutiful warrior. After his years spent training to be a Templar, the man could stand for hours without moving a muscle. He had told her once that the secret was in keeping one's mind occupied. She had no doubt that he was currently trying to list all the different kinds of cheese he had ever tried, or something equally inane. The truly impressive thing was that as occupied by his own thoughts as he was, he wouldn't miss a single word or movement during the event and would be able to repeat Anora's speech back to her later word for word if he were so inclined. It was a skilled he had developed at the monastery, an necessity as he tried to maintain his sanity while being subjected to harsh punishment if he 'failed' his duty as a human statue and watchdog.

Near the two of them were representatives from each of the armies that had aided them in stopping the blight. There were two proud Dalish hunters standing guard next to an older woman who was clearly a Keeper of one of the wandering tribes. Knight-Commander Gregoir and First Enchanter Irving stood close by, brave knight and wise mage. The Dwarven General was flanked by his second on one side, and a member of the Legion of the Dead in grim black armor on the other. Arl Eamon, Bann Teagan, and the other nobles who had loaned their troops to the war effort also had places of honor as did each of the people who had accompanied Kallian and Alistair personally as they had traveled about, trying to raise an army. The rest of the Landsmeet chamber was filled with whichever persons of note had been around and able to attend, and somewhere in the crowd stood Kallian's father. It was a gathering of all races and social strata, one that had made her swell with pride to see. As much as ending the Blight, it was the fact that she and Alistair had been able to gather such a diverse group, convincing all to put aside their differences and hatred to work together, that made her feel like she actually might deserve the title 'Hero of Fereldan'. And it was for that accomplishment that she continued to suffer her armor silently.

Eventually Kallian sensed Anora's long speech was coming to a close and she forced herself to pay closer attention as her part in the ceremony was approaching. This was the part where the Queen formally would declare her 'Hero of Fereldan' for the part she had played in leading the defense against the Blight. The title came with a boon from the crown, and Kallian had spent a good deal of the time she hadn't spent cursing her armor trying to decide what to ask for. She knew in general terms what she wanted. The question was how to ask for it and how specifically to ask. She knew there were limits to what Anora would be willing to do or would be able to do. While this was a chance for her to enact significant change, as the people of Fereldan would be willing to do much for the hero who had saved them from the blight, if she asked for too much it would most likely fail in time no matter how well meaning the start. It was a difficult problem, one that she would have preferred to tackle after a good night's sleep.

In the end Kallian choose to keep her request general, in part because she was interested to see how Anora would attempt to address it. This was a test of sorts, for the Queen, to see whether she had actually made the right choice in supporting Anora's bid for the throne. It had not been an easy decision, choosing between Anora and Alistair, and there were times when she wondered if she had chosen wisely. "I would have my people be treated fairly for once," she replied in a loud in clear voice to Anora's question.

"Then I will give them a seat in the Landsmeet," Anora declared after a brief pause. "I name you Bann of the Alienages".

While Kallian was impressed by both how quickly Anora had responded to her question as well as to the elegance of her solution, it was not an answer she had been expecting or was truly pleased to hear. The last thing she wanted was to get more entangled in politics. In addition, Gray Wardens were not supposed to hold tittles. Duncan had been clear on that point. But the idea of the elves having a voice at the Landsmeet was a good one. Thinking quickly, she suggested that her cousin Shianni would make a better choice for Bann. She needed someone who was loud, outspoken, and who wouldn't back down or be intimidated by the other nobles. Shianni had proven her strength and ability to lead. She would be a good spokesperson for their people. And, of course, making Shianni Bann got her personally off the hook.

Anora frowned but agreed, saying that they would need to find 'this Shianni person' and inform her of her new duties. Kallian briefly wondered if Anora was more annoyed with her for turning down the position herself, or for suggesting a person who was not present to accept and thus disrupting the flow of the event. Either possibility seemed to be the sort of thing that would annoy the Queen. Not that she minded annoying the Queen. That brief frown, disrupting Anora's flawless demeanor, left her feeling more than a little smug. She took just a little too much pleasure in ruffling Anora's feathers. It really wasn't healthy, especially considering the potential consequences of pushing the Queen too far.

On the conclusion of the formal part of the event, Anora signal that she wanted to have a few words with the two Wardens before they wandered off to speak with the other guests. Luckily, the queen kept their conversation brief and to the point, mostly wanting to inform them that the army would continue to be at their disposal over the next couple weeks in order to deal with any darkspawn stragglers. She also made a point of reminding Kallian that there were townspeople gathered outside, waiting to see her. Reassuring Anora that she would not disappoint her fans, Kallian escaped with Alistair before she accidentally said something excessively undiplomatic in her exhausted state.

With Alistair still at her side, Kallian made her way through the crowded room, taking her time and stopping to speak with many of the lords in attendance despite her strong desire to head straight to bed. As much as she disliked Anora for being a politician she understood the need to keep her supporters happy. The Blight itself was over, but there was still much to be done and the Gray Warden's still couldn't afford to brush off any possible sources of support. It was moments like these that made her most sympathetic to the position Duncan had been in before the Blight. It would have been easier to be angry at him for not being more aggressive in rebuilding the Warden forces in Fereldan, to blame him for not being ready when the Blight did come. But Kallian knew that he had done the best he could given the political climate at the time. Just as she knew that he had done his best at Ostagar to stem the tide of the Blight while making sure that at least two Gray Wardens survived the battle. That didn't stop her from wishing that the man had survived so that he would be the one forced to deal with the lords instead of her.

They also stopped and spoke to each of their companions, making sure that they all had been taken care of and given somewhere to stay. She was surprised to learn that Anora had already offered both Wynn and Oghren positions at court which they had accepted. The Queen certainly moved fast when she knew what she wanted. Kallian could easily see the wisdom in the choice of recruiting Wynn to the position of mage advisor to the throne. Not only was the elderly mage's advice generally sound, but she was also moderate politically and personally approachable. If anyone could prove that not all mages were to be feared it was Wynn. Her interest in Oghren was harder to understand. There was no way that the uptight and formal Queen had taken a personal liking to the crude and unruly dwarf. Kallian was having trouble even imagining Anora being able to tolerate his presence long enough to strike a deal. Alistair was clearly having similar difficulties based on the face he made when Oghren told them the news. Still, they congratulated him and wished him well, waiting till they were out of ear shot before they made their bets on how long it would last.

Sten's announcement that he would soon be heading home did not come as a surprise. He had regained his sword and had found the answer to the Arishok's question. Kallian found herself realizing that she was going to miss him greatly despite their often rocky relationship. In the last few months he had become almost affectionate towards her in an awkwardly stoic Sten sort of way. He had even taken to offering to share his precious cookies with her. She found that she valued his respect more given how difficult it had been to gain. But it would be selfish of her to ask him to stay. He clearly missed his home. At least they would not have to say goodbye immediately as it would likely take him a few days at least before he found passage on a ship heading north.

Leliana and Zevran, on the other hand, had no immediate plans. Leliana chatted merrily about helping the chantry see to the refugees then mused on the on how eventually she would like to take up travelling again, this time without the pressure of having a Blight to stop. Zevran simply turned their questions around on them, asking what her and Alistair's plans were and if he would be welcome to tag along. Both Alistair and Kallian were quick to reassure the assassin that he was indeed welcome, glad to know that at least one of their friends would not be leaving them so quickly. Zev seemed to be a little taken aback by their obvious happiness at his suggestion, especially on Alistair's part, but pleased to be clearly wanted.

The hardest part of talking with their friends and those that knew them well was dealing with all the questions about Morrigan. They had chosen to keep the deal they had made with her before the final battle a secret even from their closest companions, and therefore no one but the two of them had been prepared for her sudden disappearance after the final battle. Talking about her was awkward not only because they knew more than they were willing to say on the matter, but also because they had mixed feeling about their decision to partake of her plan. They had many good reasons for going along with it, but it had also required them to take a huge risk, one that could have dire consequences for all of Thedas. Kallian easily played off their discomfort about the subject on hurt feeling due to the witch not bothering with even a simple goodbye, but that only made her feel worse for deceiving her friends. At least she was able to reassure them that Morrigan had not fallen in the battle as some of them had feared.

When a conversation with Arl Eamon quickly dissolved into another tirade about how he believed that Alistair should have taken the throne, Kallian was quick to make their excuses claiming a need to speak with the First Enchanter. Alistair gave her a grateful look once they made their escape as he was finding it more and more difficult not to tell off the man he still believed he owed for taking him in as a baby. Kallian was less convinced of the Arl's generosity in the matter but wanted to respect Alistair's desire to stay on good terms with him.

They did indeed make their way over to speak with Irving and Gregoir next, both to maintain appearances, in case Eamon was watching, but also because they did have business with the two of them. They were greeted by the older men warmly, neither having forgotten the dept they owed Kallian and her friends for saving so many during Uldred's rebellion. In return Kallian asked about the status of their efforts to rebuild and about how their troops had fared during the battle. Amazingly, the Templars and mages had managed to get over their mutual distrust long enough to fight side by side against the darkspawn, an act that looked to do much to improve relationships between the two groups. With half the mages focusing on healing while the others used their abilities to take out large numbers of darkspawn with massive explosions, the group had managed remarkably well despite their relatively small numbers. The Templars had in turn made sure that none of the surviving darkspawn got close enough to a mage to take one down while protecting them all from any enemy magic. All in all their losses were few and the leaders of the two groups would be returning to the tower with almost as many as they had left with.

The fact that so many mages had survived made Kallian's request easier to make. She and Alistair needed to begin to rebuild the Fereldan Gray Wardens and were going to need as many competent recruits as they could muster. After travelling with Wynn and Morrigan for so long, she was more than convinced that having as many mages around as possible would only benefit the Wardens. Unfortunately, after Uldred's failed rebellion, Irving didn't have many mages to spare. Still, she asked him to think on the subject and see if he could come up with the names of any of the younger mages that might be better suited for life among the Wardens.

Kallian also asked Gregoir to let them know if he had any Templars in training that he felt would benefit from a change in careers. She wasn't expecting much to come from it, the chantry didn't like to let either the Templars or the mages out from under their control, but she had to ask. While their experiences during the Blight might encourage some to consider joining the Wardens who wouldn't have normally, there were also a lot fewer able bodied warriors around in general after so many had perished during and since Ostagar. No one had many men to spare, no matter how much the Gray Warden's were needed. Both Gregoir and Irving reluctantly promised to do their best as did each of the other representatives of the gathered allies when she made similar requests of them. Word would be spread that the Gray Wardens would be recruiting.

Alistair made himself scarce as Kallian spoke with her father, wanting to give them a little privacy. It was the first time she had seen him since rescuing him from the Tevinter slavers. They hugged each other awkwardly around her heavy plate mail, both holding back tears as he explained how very proud he was of her. After making sure that both her cousins had survived the recent battle and promising to come and visit them all in the Alienage as soon as possible, she hugged him one last time before rejoining Alistair and continuing their slow progress through the crowd.

Once they had spoken to everyone they needed to, they made their way out on to a balcony and greeted the people gathered in the courtyard below. After spending several minutes smiling and waving the two Wardens finally made their escape, heading back up to the suite Anora had given them, stopping only to pick up Cerberus from the kennels and to inform a servant that they were not to be disturbed for anything short of a major darkspawn attack. Dog in tow, they made it to their rooms where armor was quickly shed and repacked before they crawled into the large feather bed wearing only their underclothes. None of them had any trouble falling asleep even though the sun was still high in the sky.


End file.
